Yes we have a few that have deformed antlers. This is one will be removed this year by one of the kiddos. We think he was injured last year some how. Notice his coat is not a typical summer coat as well still have patches of dark winter coat.

I've heard that this can from leg injuries. If it is a rear leg injury, it is the opposite antler, and if it is a front leg injury, it is the antler on the same side.

I was told the same exact thing fom a biologist two years ago.
And then a guy who claimed to be a bilogist said i fell for a joke. I dont know what to believe. Sounded plausible to me at the time coming from a trained professional.

Appreciate the feedback but no known physical injuries. All the bucks in question had normal antlers last year. Could be I have let them ripen to long but I normally let all my top end bucks go until 8-10 yrs before putting them on hit list. Have not noticed this in years past.

I was told the same exact thing fom a biologist two years ago.
And then a guy who claimed to be a bilogist said i fell for a joke. I dont know what to believe. Sounded plausible to me at the time coming from a trained professional.

I'm the guy who "claimed " to be a biologist. I am a Certified Wildlife Biologist.

Appreciate the feedback but no known physical injuries. All the bucks in question had normal antlers last year. Could be I have let them ripen to long but I normally let all my top end bucks go until 8-10 yrs before putting them on hit list. Have not noticed this in years past.

Any reason you let them go this long? My understanding is they begin to lose mass after 7 years and begin to have teeth problems. I guess it depends on conditions.

Seems like I am seeing more mature deer this year than others with one side messed up. Anybody else noticing this ? Looking for explanation or logical reason for this.

I get quite a few deer with messed up antlers. Most of them we believe are velvet injuries. It was suggested to me that dogs might be chasing the deer. The guy who told me that suggested hog dogs, but I hunt small properties with houses in every direction so dogs in general seems plausible.

In all seriousness SIPPY, If they dont use their feet to help shape their antlers during velvet, then how can a leg injury deform them? Im just curious.
Not trying to be a smart a**. I have no clue and receive conflicting information.

In all seriousness SIPPY, If they dont use their feet to help shape their antlers during velvet, then how can a leg injury deform them? Im just curious.
Not trying to be a smart a**. I have no clue and receive conflicting information.

Damage to blood flow and nerve transmissions.

Most antler abnormalities are due to a pedicel injury or an injury to the antler itself when in velvet.

In all seriousness SIPPY, If they dont use their feet to help shape their antlers during velvet, then how can a leg injury deform them? Im just curious.
Not trying to be a smart a**. I have no clue and receive conflicting information.

Leg injury doesn't refer to the leg injuring the antler, it refers to an injury to the leg. Like a leg break, infection etc.

In all seriousness SIPPY, If they dont use their feet to help shape their antlers during velvet, then how can a leg injury deform them? Im just curious.
Not trying to be a smart a**. I have no clue and receive conflicting information.

Most antler abnormalities are due to a pedicel injury or an injury to the antler itself when in velvet.

Are you a botanist or a biologist?

In all seriousness, I get the whole foot/leg injury causing opposite antler deformation, etc. What causes things like extra points and something like palmation or extreme non-typical racks? Is that purely genetic or based on nutrition?

This thread went off track. I believe the reason for this is because I switched feed this year. I believe it upset the rumen and that caused the antlers to go haywire. Some of the deer though are still pretty impressive such as crazy mass, double beam, etc.

I seem to recall a thread last year that suggested it may be caused by cottonseed baskets. By chance do you feed cottonseed out of the mesh wire baskets?

That was me that suspected velvet injuries from the cottonseed feeders. I stopped feeding cottonseed this year in May. I haven't run cameras yet, so I don't know yet if I have as many freaks as last year.

This thread went off track. I believe the reason for this is because I switched feed this year. I believe it upset the rumen and that caused the antlers to go haywire. Some of the deer though are still pretty impressive such as crazy mass, double beam, etc.

That was me that suspected velvet injuries from the cottonseed feeders. I stopped feeding cottonseed this year in May. I haven't run cameras yet, so I don't know yet if I have as many freaks as last year.

I had one just like the second picture and his was from a leg injury.

This is the year after the injury and then the following year when he grew back normal.

I get quite a few deer with messed up antlers. Most of them we believe are velvet injuries. It was suggested to me that dogs might be chasing the deer. The guy who told me that suggested hog dogs, but I hunt small properties with houses in every direction so dogs in general seems plausible.

So how would a dog chaseing deer effect its horn ? It with still have to have some kind of injury to it ?
I'm assuming these dogs don't run does or fawns only bucks in velvet ?

Seems like I am seeing more mature deer this year than others with one side messed up. Anybody else noticing this ? Looking for explanation or logical reason for this.

More so than ever before. First round of Trail Camera pics last week showed many mature bucks with one side different. Some are drastic and some are simply more flared. Not sure whats going on but it has me re thinking lots of things. I'll post some pics later.

That is crazy. This is the most messed up bucks I have seen in the 12 years I have had my place. A friend of mine that takes care of a handful of ranches in my area has noticed this also but all his deer are under 3 yrs old ?
Very disappointing, four of them so far were on hit list this year.

Well here we are in 2017 and thank goodness 2016 is in rear view mirror. I went back to my old feed which I started back in December. I am super happy to report all my messed up deer from last year are back to normal. So far have only seen one messed up deer. Moral of the story is don't switch feed during antler growing season. My friend Blake shot this deer last weekend, not a high scorer 160" but he had exceptional mass 40 2/8"